I have always thought of myself as a realist. Even I can't call myself an optimist but I certainly wouldn't call myself a pessimist. Just because I prepare for the worst doesn't mean I can't expect the best. Take my writing for example. I don't expect anyone to publish anything that I'll eventually send them. That doesn't stop me having fantasies of being rich and famous - but I know they'll stay just that, fantasies. And just because I don't believe I will get published doesn't mean I will send out half done work. I might expect the worst but in this instance I'm preparing as much as I can for both outcomes - making the work as good as it can be and preparing my mind for the knowledge that I won't get accepted. Afterall, almost every writer I've ever read about has said they have been rejected repeatedly. Therefore I don't much care that I will get rejected. I can see how this could be seen as pessimism but for me, not caring doesn't mean I won't try. If I never tried then I would classify myself as a pessimist and a failure. A failure is someone who doesn't try. I'm going to try. Just because I don't expect to be accepted doesn't mean I shouldn't give it a shot. I could expect to get published but that wouldn't stop me from getting accepted so why does expecting to get rejected stop me from getting published? Unless I didn't bother trying because of it.
So to recap this very confusing post - I am not a pessimist, nor am I a failure. You don't have to expect the best for it to happen and I believe expecting the best can be very devasting when it doesn't happen. But the important thing is to KEEP TRYING ANYWAY.
3 comments:
I am exactly the same!
It's the trying that is the important thing, Bethany. If we don't write and send our work out there then we are never going to realise our dreams. But if we write to the best of our ability and are prepared to continually learn we may just get something published!
Speaking as someone who has had many, many, many rejections there is always that ray of hope when you get an acceptance in amongst them! I still continue to get rejections but I keep pushing and improving my skills. My goal now is to get a short story published in a UK magazine!
I wish you every success with your writing. It's not easy as you know!
Julie xx
That's the point I was trying to get across Julie - if I truly let myself believe I will get published then as soon as I get rejected I know I'm the kind of person who would just give up, so if I believe I will get rejected I know I can keep trying when it happens as that's what I'd expected.
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